SalmonChile: “2019 going to be similar to 2018, given that growth in Chile and Norway is limited and the demand is very strong”

Arturo Clément, the outgoing president of SalmonChile, is optimistic about the year ahead for his country’s salmon farming industry.

In an interview with the publication El Llanquihue (quoted in mundomaritimo.cl) Clement predicted that 2019 will be one to look out for in his assessement.

He told the site that said that “it is going to be similar to 2018, given that the growth in Chile and Norway is limited and the demand is very strong, prices are going to be maintained in the markets, so we can think that we are going to have a good year. That brings us to three-year cycle with good results, which is unprecedented in our industry.”

He also highlighted that “regulation is now super limiting and it is very complex to increase it in an important way. That helps make this increase quite conservative.”

He also anticipated the growth of the Chinese market and that the new government in Brazil will boost demand. “We are also surprised by the 10% increase in our main market, which is the United States, which is fantastic. If it keeps growing at those rates, we can be super calm. There are other countries in Asia, the Middle East and the rest of Latin America that we have to tackle to see opportunities to place more salmon. We have to work more in marketing, as well as in positioning and improving the image of our salmon in the world. That is our great task, ” he added.

Clement wanted more salmon farmers involved with the organisation: “We are inviting companies to come to SalmonChile. We would love to have Marine Harvest again, which we have invited and hope will come back at some point, just as we would like to see Invermar and Antarctic Salmons. In general, SalmonChile represents 80% of the industry, but we would like them to be all with us, ” he continued.

Clement added that Intesal – the technological arm of SalmonChile – would work to secure future salmon escapes: “we have to have the highest engineering in our facilities at sea,” he added.